Love is unconditional. It’s received and given in many forms, but it’s said that the truest of love is when it’s without any limitations. A love for caring about others without demanding much for yourself. The love of acceptance and promises. A love of wagging tails and droopy ears. A love of smiley welcomes and sad goodbyes. Your love. 

They say home is where the heart is, but my heart has always belonged to you, while you give your heart away to anyone in exchange for belly rubs. You always manage to find a bright spot on the coldest of days and sit there basking in the sunlight. Well, even on my coldest days, you’re all the light I need. You laze around all day but always stay at the door wide awake at night. It’s as though you’re guarding us against an evil we can’t even see. Or maybe we just have similar sleep schedules (Night-owl alert). Thank you for accompanying me through every single all-nighter. I promise that midnight snacks will always be shared. You’re the perfect friend when I’m in dire need of some “quiet time”. Quiet but not alone. 

You stare into nothingness sometimes, whiling away time by chasing your own tail, or looking at the window waiting for one of us to get home. And when we do, you don’t jump at us or startle us with excitement. You somehow read the room and our minds and manage to know if we had a good, bad, or terrible day. Nothing feels more therapeutic than coming home to you after a long day, sitting by the window with a warm cup of tea, while you lean over my leg and push my palm towards your head, patiently waiting for pats.

But it’s not all fun and games with you. You’re as deceiving as they come. One minute you’re lazing in a corner like Mr. goody-two-shoes, and the next minute you’re destroying pillows, bedsheets, and photo albums. Oh, you trickster! Well, you have your way out of trouble too. Just when you’re done causing a ruckus and are about to be punished for it, you manage to go hide in the deepest, most narrow corners of the house so we can’t get to you. And when that doesn’t work, you bust out the big guns, that’s right, I’m talking about the puppy eyes *heart explodes*. You love watching us all melt over it, Don’t you? You sly devil, you. 

It’s funny how you always manage to sense a camera pointing at you and decide to start acting like a diva. Yes, please, walk away from the picture-perfect setting, that is exactly what I want (There goes my dream of creating a perfect, aesthetically-pleasing dog Instagram account). 

 

All hail the Destroyer of Plants, the Ruler of all snacks, and the Master of growling at other dogs twice his size. 

 

Despite all this, it’d be a lie to say that I am not completely in awe of your cute nature. Yes, this includes all the times that you chased random kids off the ground. It even includes the times when you treat me like paparazzi. When you make it a point to bark at every single bird, insect, or tree till the end of time. When you learned how to push doors and open them with a creaky noise (which by the way, is incredibly scary during the night and took some getting used to). But my favorite part is when you’re snoring quietly (not so quietly) on the couch next to me which always fills me with a sense of calm. 

Just the fact that your presence somehow makes life better. 

They say dogs are a human’s best friend. But you’re so much more than that, you’re family, you’re a part of my life. During times like these when everything feels like a mess, I stroke your soft fur and forget about my troubles. Thank you for never letting me feel lonely or too lazy for walks.

True happiness doesn’t always have to come from chasing great things in life or celebrating huge, life-altering successes. Sometimes there’s a deeper meaning to being happy, most of the time, it can be found right within you. But sometimes all you need to feel content are four paws and a heart. 

“My fashion philosophy is, if you’re not covered in dog hair, your life is empty.” – Elayne Boosler

Sources for Pet Adoption agencies:

https://bluecrossofindia.org/adopt/

https://www.animalleague.org/results/

https://dharamsalaanimalrescue.org/adoption/local-adoption/

 

 

The above article is inspired by the movie, ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ directed by Simon Curtis.

 

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